Container sealing method and apparatus therefor, including rotary sealing head, rotary head spacer, and conveyer mechanism



June 6, 1950 Filed Oct. 11, 1944 F. Z. FOUSE CONTAINER SEALING METHODAND APPARATUS THEREF INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY HEADSPACER,AND CONVEYER HECHANISII .lmlui 19 Sheets-Sheet 1 .qllllll June 6,1950 F. 2. FOUSE 2,510,568

CONTAINER SEALING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR,

- INCLUD ROTARY SEALING HEAD, RO ARY 7 HEAD cER,ANO CONVEYER IEcHANIsl19 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 11, 1944 0, I lm un] J'hdn'r/T 2. iuu

I MQ MAJ arromvr Filed Oct. 11, 1944 F. 2. FOUSE 2,510,568 cou'mmSEALING METHOD ND APPARATUS masvo I mcwmuc ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARYHEAD SPACER,AND comm MECHANISM 19 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 6, 1950 I uimeINVENTOR.

June 6, 1950 F. 2. FOUSE V 1 8 com'um SEALING mam-10D AND APPARATUSmama,

mcwnmc ROTARY smuuc mm, ROTARY HEAD SPACER,AND CONVEYER IECHANISI FiledOct. 11, 1944 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

June 6, 1950 F. 2. FOUSEY 2,510,563

comum SEALING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR,

mcwnmc ROTARY smuuc HEAD, ROTARY HEAD snczmm CONVEYER MECHANISM FiledOct. 11, 1944 1:9 Sheets-Sheet 5' ll-lwi "M II 1N VEN TOR. fiedzn'r/I ZJ5me BY 71 .MM2

June 6, 1950 F 2 FOUSE 2,510,568

CONTAINER SEALING llE'l'l-IOD AND APPARATUS 'I'l'lEREFOR, INCLUDINGROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY HEAD SPACER,AND CONVEYER MECHANISM FiledOct. 11, 1944 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 11 INVENTOR.

fizz/1112K Z Tease June 6, 1950 F. 2. FOUSE CONTAINER SEALING METHOD ANDAPPARATUS mama, INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY mm SPACER,ANDcomma uEcNANIsu 19 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Oct. 11, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

FOUSE CONTAINER SEALING METHOD AND APP 2,510,568 ARATUS THEREFOR,

l9 Sheets-Sheet 8 June 6, 1950 F. 2.

INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY 1 HEAD smcsmmn coNvEYER MECHANISMFiled Oct. 11, 1944 INVENTOR era/f Z 7514.56 BY June 6, 1950 1. z. FOUSEcom'um smmc mmon mu APPARA 2,510,568 'rus THEREFOR, mcwnmc ROTARYSEALING HEAD; ROTARY HEAD SPACER,AND comm MECHANISM Filed Oct. 11, 194419 Sheets-Sheet 9 (NI EN TOR. Mimi 2,1 5?

June 6, 1950 2,510,568

F. Z. F OUSE CONTAINER SEALING METHODAND APPARATUS THEREF INCLUDINGROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY WAD SPACER,AND CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Oct.11, 1944 19 Sheets-Sheet 10 I VEN ATOR. Jr'rdmk/l 2. Fans:

I FOUSE CONTAINER SEALING METHOD AND A?! 2,510,568 ARATUS THEREFOR,HEAD, ROTARY IECHANISII June 6, 1950 F. 2.

' INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING aw) sncmmmn CONVEYER 19 Sheets-Sheet 11 FiledOct. 11, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

21;. KMMM.

\ 91151111117111!lzr 171111111134 June 6, 1950 Filed on. 11, 1944" I F.Z. FOUSE CONTAINER SEALING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR,

INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY HEAD SPACER,AND CONVEYER MECHANISM19 Sheets-Sheet 12 A 49 \A V M g 52 N 101 new 109 \5 61 101 L= mu :3: m155 I INVENTOR;

F. 2. FOUSE 2,510,568 comuum SEALING. us'ruon AND APPARATUS 'H-IEREFOR,INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY mm smcmmn convmm uscnmzsu 19Sheets-Sheet 13 June 6, 1950 Filed Oct. 11, 1944 12:1 IHHH'.

IN VEN TOR.

fr'zdenklf 2'. 750a June 6, 1950 F. 2. FOUSE 2,510,568

comnm smunc METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, INCLUDING ROTARY SEALINGHEAD, ROTARY mm SPACER,AND CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Oct. 11, 1944 19Sheets-Sheet i INVENTOR. v

MFMMW June 6, 1950 F; 2. FOUSE I 2 5 CONTAINER SEALING METHDD ANDAPPARATUS THEREFOR,

INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY HEAD SPKCER,AND CONVEYER MECHANISMl9 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed Oct. 11, 1944 244 INVENTOR.

, v ,ITTURNEY June 6, 1950 F. 2. FOUSE CONTAINER SEALING METHOD ANDAPPARATUS THEREFOR INCLUDING ROTARY SEALING HEAD, ROTARY HEAD spacsmmmcomma macnmusu Filed Oct. 11, 1944 l9 Sheets-Sheet 17 INVEN TOR.

fivdent/f 2.70715? INTO/FIVE) June 6, 1950 F. 2. FOUSE 2,510,568

CONTAINER SEALING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, mcwnmc ROTARY SEALINGHEAD, ROTARY HEAD SPACER,AND CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Oct. 11, 1944 19Sheets-Sheet 18 INVENTOR. Fiwden'r/f Z. Fbase 7iipwmyrawl June 6, 1950F. ZIFOUSE 2,510,563

CONTAINER SEALING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, INCLUDING ROTARYSEALING HEAD, ROTARY HEAD SPACER,AND CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Oct. 11,1944 1,9 Sheets-Sheet 19 INVENTOR. I Indira/f Z I'ause nwwmw wx PatentedJune 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frederick Z. Fouse, Lancaster,Ohio, assignor to Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Lancaster,

Ohio, a corporation oi Delaware Application October 11, 1944, Serial No.558,226

30 Claims.

The present invention relates to the sealing art and more particularlyto a method and machine for sealing containers. A

In the sealing of containers, particularly glass containers, variousproblems are encountered. The containers vary in size, height and shapeand hence convenient, rapid and effective adjustments for these aredesirable. The filled containers may be delivered in groups or singlyand the machine should be capable of handling them without requiring anoperator to feed the containers one at a time. Likewise, it is desirableto deliver the closures in group without requiring an operator to feedthem individually. The containers are frequently too full for propersealing with part of the material on the lips and sides V of thecontainers, which tends to interfere with proper sealing. The containersshould be under positive control during the passage through the machineto prevent toppling, spilling and breakage, which may require themachine to be stopped to clear up the refuse. Such interruption may alsorequire stopping the filling machine and other equipment in line withthe sealing machine.

The above requirements are complicated by the fact that high speedproduction requires the sealing of several hundred containers a minute.Many products require vacuum seals, which may be formed from theondensation of vapor in some instances and in other instances .by avacuum pump; other products should be sealed with inert gas therein,such as carbon dioxide. Sealing machines have heretofore been designedto achieve some of .the above objectives. However, various requirementshave necessitated special designs of machines. Packers prefer to have asingle machine which may be placed in line with filling equipment tooperate as a unit. To remove the machine from its semi-permanentposition and substitute another is objectionable and timeconsuming. Inaddition, the packer dislikes to carry several machines of differenttypes in stock.

The present invention aims to provide a method and machine for receivinggroups of containers and groups of closures and sealing them at a rateof several hundred a minute. The machine may be quickly adjusted fordifferent sizes and shapes of containers and. for different sizes ofclosures. The containers may be hermetically sealed with a high vacuumformed either by vapor condensation or by mechanical suction and mayalso be sealed with inert gases therein. The machine may be readilychanged for the different types of seals required.

An object of the invention is to provide an im- 2 proved sealing machineand method adapted to seal containers at a high speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sealingmachine and method adapted to provide a high vacuum within the pack-age.

Another object of the invention is to provide a high-speed sealingmachine in which the product may be subjected to vapor or vacuum for arelatively long period prior to sealing to obtain a high vacuum.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a sealing machineimproved means adapted to remove art of the contents from over-filledcontainers and to remove material from the lips of the containers priorto sealing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing machine in whichthe containers are under positive control during their movement throughthe machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sealingmachine in which a single conveyor conveys the containers in curvedpaths about the various mechanisms. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing machine in whichthe conveyor for the containers meshes with sprockets fixed to thevarious mechanisms to minimize relative movement therebetween.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described orwill be indicated in the appended claims and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawingsforming a part of the specification, wherein Fig. 1 is a frontelevational view of the machine with the covers broken away to show theinterior thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the machine along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1showing the movement of the containers through the machine and thevarious parts thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, on an enlargedscale, showing a preferred embodiment of the mechanism for adjusting thestar wheels for different sizes of containers;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, also on anenlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 55 of

